Check member for laundry-checking devices



Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,112

. J. H. TODD CHECK MEMBER FOR LAUNDRY CHECKING DEVICES Filed June 15, 1927 [222/19 202?.- /0/20 f6.%c/d

[Wes/v Patented Jan. '8, 1929.

JOHN H. TODD, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, AssIenon'ro THE KEY-TAG CHECKING SYSTEM COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, onro, A CORPORATION or 03-110.

CHECK MEMBER FOR LAUNDRY-CHECKING DEVICES.

Application filed. June 15, 1927. Serial no. 198,921.]

' My invention relates to laundry-checking devices. Particularly, the invention relates to check members utilized for segregating,

into different classes or bundles the commingled laundry pieces or nets after the mass doors or other elementswhich, for various reasons, occasionally open up to a degree or present cracks into which the checkmembers, which are usually comparatively small substantially flat stamped plates, creep or become trapped, and, when the cause for the crack or other opening is eliminated, and the cracks close, these check members are firmly caught and, consequently, also the garment pieces or netsor identifyingwaste pieces which are attached to them; oftentimes t( the great detriment of the garments,nets and to the check members, and always to the im pairinent of the laundry operation. Often times this entrapment occurs as follows. The laundry machine comes to a position where its door or entry-closure is on the bottom, and the weight of the contained laundry and water forces the door somewhat open so as to furnish a crack into which the upper edge'of the check members may creep. Then when the laundry machine is moved and the strain is somewhat removed from the door, the latter closes somewhat and the check members are securely trapped. Then subsequent operations are aptto result only in the more se cure entrapment of the check members. It is usually the so-called upper edge of these check members which thus become trapped. Usually the laundry piece or net or identifying waste piece is secured to the bottom edge of the check'rnember and thus this edge is quite effectually protected from entrapment. I therefore, preferably, provide my improved check member withmeans adjacent its upper edge which obviate the entrapment.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, the disclosed means, however, constituting but threelof the various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of my invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawing: v Figures 1, 2 and 3, represent, respectively, a front elevation, a side view, and'a plan of one form of my improved check member;

Flgures l, 5-and 6 represent, respectively,

a front elevation, at side view, andfa plan of a second form ofmy improved check mem: ber; and 1 Flgures 7, 8 'and'9 represent,respectively,

a front elevation, a side view, and a plan ofa third form'of inyimproved check member.

Referring to the annexed drawingin which the same parts areindicated by the same respective ordinals ln-the several views, the

body portion 1 of a check member is formed.

with a slot or opening 2 of a certain charac ter andprovided with a number 3. The

numbers 3 alone would serve as segregating lndlcia by attaching checkmembms all hear; ing the same number to the sam'e classor bundle of laundry pieces. Oftentimes these numbers are displayed uponpi'ns 6 which'are secured to the several pieces of laundry or nets. However, as plainly pointed out in my Patents Nos. 1,343,423-and1,399,906, or June" 15, 1920, andDecember 13, 1921, respectively, mistakes in segregating the laundry often occur where numbers alone are depended upon as segregating indicia, so that preferably check members are used which are formed with slots of various characters adapted to c'o-operate with keys formed, respectively, with complementary splines or other means, whereby in the checking of the various pieces of laundry and verifying the reading of the numbers, if the latter are also used, only those pieces of laundry or nets are segregatedinte one bundle which have attached to them check members of a character adapted to co op'erate with one certain key. This, then, is the form of check member shown in the accompanying drawing and in which have been incorporated my improved means for preventing theentrapment;whichhas been d9- scribed. This check member body 1. is shown in the forms of device of Figures 1 and 4 as connected to the pin 6 by a loose ring 5.;

whereas, in a form'of device shown in Figure 7, the pin 6 is directly loosely connected to Ill . rality of rings 7 at spaced areas through the body land adjacent its upper edge't, these rings, in the form of device shown, being two in number and loosely connected to the body 1 at about the ends of its upper edge and being of a diameter larger than the thickness of the edge 4 and extending outwardly from the bodymember 1, all as plainly shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, wherein it will be noted,

' particularly in Figures 2 and 3, that the effective thickness of the upper 'edge4 is thus made substantially four or five times the normal thickness of the edge. Thus a crack of corresponding width would necessarily have to be created before such a check member could become caught and an opening of such dimensions would be practically unknown in standard laundry machinery. The loose connection of the rings 7 affords a large efiective area for their use, as plainly shown by dotand-dash lines in Figure'l.

In the form of device shown in Figures '4,

and 6, the desired result is obtained by the use of rivets 8 passed through the body member 1, in the illustrative form of device shown, in about the same areas as the rings 7, and formed with enlarged or broken-over heads 9 V which afford an effective edge thickness for the desired object of the character shown 1 plainly in Figures 5 and 6.

In the form of device shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9', no extra element is added to the body member 1, but the upper edge 4 of the same is" so formed during the stamping operation, or otherwise so formed, as to reversely bend thesame to create the angles 10 and the curved side walls 11 to about the depth plainly shown in Figure 8, whereby the effective thickness of the edge 4 itself, in so far as permitting the entry of the .same into laundry machinery cracks is concerned, is substantially that shown inFigures 8 and 9.

'In the above descrip-tion'I have referred to (identifying waste pieces. I will explain whatis' meant thereby. Oftentime's, the laun dry of one individual will fill an entire tub or tumbler. There isthen no necessity of marking everypiece. So it is customary to attach a proper check member to any waste or extra piece of fabric and throw it into the tub with the laundry and this serves as an identifying check for the whole tub or cradle.

What I claim is:

The three forms of de 1. A check-member for laundry-checking devices comprising a body portion adapted for attachment to the article to be treated in the laundry machine, and rings of a diameter greater thanthe thickness of theedge of said portion intersecting the latter at spaced areas and extending outwardly therefrom to reduce the liability of the entrapment of the outer edge of the check-member in the laundry machine. 1

2. A checlemember for laundry-checking devices comprising 'a'body portion formed to adapt the same for attachment at oneside to the article to be treated in the laundry machine,and rings of a diameter greater than the thickness of the edge at the opposite side intersecting the latter at spaced areas adjacent'its edge and extending outwardlythere-f from. g

3. A check-member for laundry-checking devices comprising a body portion formed to cooperate with a complementarily: formed key and provided with means adapted for'its attachment to the article to be treated in the laundry machine, and individual spaced means secured adjacent the edge-of the body portion for reducing the liability of the latter to being trapped in the laundry machine.

4. A check-member for laundry-checking devices comprising a body portion formed to cooperate with a complementarily formed key and provided with means adapted for its attachment to the article to be treated in the laundry machine, and rings of a diameter greater than the thickness, of the edge of said portion intersecting the latter at spaced areas andextending' outwardly therefrom; v

' 5. A check-member for laundry-checking devices comprising a body portion formed to cooperate with a complementarily formed key and provided with means adapted for its attachment at one side to the article to be treatedin the laundry machine, and rings of a di-' ameter greater than the thickness of the edge at the opposite sideintersecting the latter at spaced areas adjacent its edge and extending outwardly therefrom. f Y

6. A check-member devices comprising a substantially flat plate adapted for attachment adjacent its bottom edge to the article to be treated in the laundry machine, and form ed with segregating indicia, and means increasing theeffective thickness of its upper edge to reduce the liability of its being trapped in the laundry machine- V 7. A check-member for laundry-checking devices comprising'a substantially flat plate adapted for attachment adjacent its bottom edge to the article to be treated in the laundry machine, and formed with segregating indicia, and rings of a diameter greater than the thickness of itsupper edge intersecting the latter at spaced areas and extending outwardly therefrom. 8. A check-member for laundry-checking for laundry-checking devices comprising a body portion adapted for attachment to the article to be treated in the laundry machine, and provided With individual spaced elements increasing the effective thickness of its edge to reduce the liability of its being trapped in the laundry machine.

9. A check-member for laundry-checking devices comprising a substantially flat plate adapted for attachment to the article to be treated in the laundry machine, and individual spaced elements. secured thereto to increase the efiective thickness of the plate edge to reduce the liability of its being trapped in the laundry machine.

10. A check-member for laundry-checking devices comprising a body portion adapted for attachment to the article to be treated in the laundry machine, and provided with individual spaced elements loosely secured thereto adjacent its edge to reduce the liability of its being trapped in the laundry machine.

Signed by me this 24th day of May, 1927.

' JOHN H. TODD. 

